


New Symptoms

by Nontoxic_Markers



Category: Hyper Light Drifter
Genre: Co op is really fuckin nasty, Gen, Guardian is mentioned, Illnesses, Vomiting
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-11
Updated: 2020-10-11
Packaged: 2021-03-07 19:47:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 961
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26953114
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Nontoxic_Markers/pseuds/Nontoxic_Markers
Summary: Drifter is just about ready to begin his travels, eager to meet up with Guardian in the East. But he would not end up going alone..
Comments: 1
Kudos: 11





	New Symptoms

Walking through a bright green forest, the vista of an injured city, a crown of power looming above it high in the sky. He stepped down the steps, with the wind rustling through his capes and the smell of fresh air whisking through his covered nose and surging through his ill lungs. And then.. the coughing fits returned. Stronger than they had been for awhile. He was staggering, unable to keep his balance long as the world around him faded to a dark magenta.. and the beast that haunted his every nightmare, his every thought, the looming embodiment of his impending demise, making it's way toward him...  
And then nothing.  
Darkness.

-

That was all The Drifter could remember before waking up in his and Guardians home. His hair down and helmet off he shifted a bit, noticing he was laying in his bed. If it could be called that, it was more so just an air mattress in the middle of the room, but he slept well there nonetheless. Comfy! Looking to the left he saw his helmet and inactive companion bot on the floor. He sat up slowly and stretched. His helmet and boots had been the only things removed from him, aside from that he was still fully clothed, capes and all. Looking right, it appeared that a map was left for him. It clicked for him then, he must’ve collapsed and Guardian found him. They were such a kind soul, he still didn’t fully understand why or how, but hey he wasn’t about to complain. A free place to live with decent company and good food! Really couldn’t argue! He turned back to his companion bot, turning it back on, and guided it toward the map Guardian had left him. As the sprite downloaded the file, he took the hair tie beside the helmet and sloppily put his soft white hair in a bun before sliding his helmet back on. Mustn’t dawdle long, he had a long day ahead of him after all! Double time too, with the inconvenience it must’ve been for Guardian to drag him back over here, he would need to make it up to them. Ping! His sprite had finished downloading the map, and Drifter had equipped his boots. Ready to go! But only for a moment, as he rose from the mattress to stand his head began to reel.. Drifter held his head in his hand.. perhaps he simply stood up too fast? No... it got worse.. his head pounded mercilessly as a wave of nausea hit him. God what now? This hadn’t ever happened to him before. The illness never really caused faintness or nausea, fits of coughing and hallucinations yeah, maybe some vomiting but, not like this.. and not so suddenly. His rapid thoughts were interrupted by intense dizziness and he had to sit back down. The sprite was analyzing him hastily, the green crystal on his cape blinking as it checked his vitals. After a second a small medical symbol appeared above the bot, urging him to heal. But Drifter wasn’t focused on that... he couldn’t really focus at all. Another cough forced its way from his mouth, but this was different.. he was gonna be sick. He staggered to try and get up and reach the sink or a garbage can or something, he wasn’t about to vomit on Guardians floor. But unfortunately for him he didn’t make it. Drifter retched, staining his deep red face mask... black? Without thinking he ripped the mask off of his face and continued to retch and gag. As it calmed slightly, he noticed he had been coughing up black bile. That... didn’t make sense... he would cough up blood but black bile?? Why were these new symptoms just showing up? We’re these even related? Once more he was yanked from his thoughts as he vomited in full on the floor. Leaving a large black puddle in the aftermath. Drifters throat burning, his lungs sore and a bitter taste remaining on his tongue. By the time he was pretty much finished he looked in frustration, embarrassment and a tad bit of fear.. this was gonna be a bitch to clean.. and prayed Guardian would not come home to black vomit on their kitchen floor. As if it couldn’t get worse.. the headache returned with a vengeance... static thrumming in his head. He silently hissed at the pain and collapsed onto the floor in front of the puddle. It had overwhelmed him so much he barely noticed the bile beginning to rise in a... very familiar manner... like how the shadowy beast present in his visions had risen from the blood ejected from his lungs. Drifter did eventually look to see.. a dark shadowy figure looming over him from where the puddle was, and to his horror.. that absolutely haunting sight..  
A magenta diamond.. right in the center of its “face”. But this wasn’t the same beast, no. It couldn’t have been... it was so much smaller and... was it... shaped like him? Slowly the diamond faded away, as the shadowy mass became, far less shadowy. A deep red helmet with cyan marks, a deep black cape with a cyan crystal, and a featureless void black face. Aside from that, it was... Drifter... a clone of himself. Drifter stared in disbelief.. heaving as the previous symptoms disappeared. He glanced at where the puddle of bile was, it was gone now.. and he continued to stare at this phantom. The apparition slowly looked down at The Drifter.. before looking across the room at a mirror set on the wall.   
Reflecting only the Drifter and not this shadowy being. It returned to meet the blue skins gaze, a thought appearing in his head.  
“Greetings.” It said.


End file.
